Swiss coach fired up to play Canada

Canada's Nic Petan scores past USA goaltender Jon Gillies during second period action at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in Malmo, Sweden on Tuesday, December 31, 2013. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Frank Gunn)

MALMO, Sweden – When it comes to epic meltdowns, the one by Swiss coach Colin Muller on Wednesday was right up there.

He stopped his team’s practice and called the players over to the boards for a profanity-laced tirade, questioning their lack of intensity and emotion ahead of Thursday’s quarter-final matchup against Canada.

When practice resumed, it took all of one drill for Muller to go berserk.

He repeatedly yelled out four-letter words that start with ‘F’, then broke his stick over the boards and threw it against the glass.

With his own stick now chopped in half, Muller grabbed one right out of the hands of a Swiss player who looked stunned as his coach skated away.

“I am trying to get our guys motivated,” he said after practice. “I had to break a stick. I had to tell them, ‘Guys, this could be the biggest game of your lives.’

“I remember reading a story about the Finnish goalie who plays in Switzerland, Mika Noronen, he played in the NHL, and his biggest memory in hockey is winning the under-20 with Finland. His best memory in his life.

“You beat Canada tomorrow, you are never going to forget it. Get pumped, get pumped. But that is Swiss mentality. It is really hard to get a word out of their mouths.”

Muller is from Scarborough, Ont., and came over to Switzerland when he was 19 years old.

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Canada's Nic Petan scores past USA goaltender Jon Gillies during second period action at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in Malmo, Sweden on Tuesday, December 31, 2013. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Frank Gunn)

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